Perching and nesting birds and animals present a serious problem for a variety of structures and devices. A variety of apparatus have been developed to actively prevent animals and birds from perching or nesting on or near sensitive structures, equipment and crops. Netting and needle strips are commonly used to physically prevent animals and birds from intruding around sensitive structures and equipment. Needle strips, such as the ones manufactured by Nixalite of America, Inc. of East Moline, Ill., consist of a plurality of thin protruding needles or barbs fastened to elongated bands, which are mountable to the perch-sensitive structure or device. The protruding needles of the needle strips prevent birds from physically landing on the structures.
Enclosing structures and equipment with netting or covering them with needle strips is often aesthetically undesirable. Netting and needle strips are also functionally undesirable in many applications where the surrounding environment can not be significantly altered. For example, netting and needle strips are unsuitable for use with environmental control sensors, such as moisture, humidity and precipitation detection sensors. These types of environmental control sensors typically include sensing elements that are exposed to its environment for receiving various external control input. Any physical obstruction surrounding the sensing elements can affect the accuracy and consistency of their readings. Snow and ice often adhere to the nets, screens, and needle strips used to protect the sensors, and accumulate around and over the sensing elements, which results in inaccurate and inconsistent sensor readings. In addition, nets, screens and needle strips collect leaves and other debris, which further obstruct the area immediately around the exposed sensing elements.